The Help Menu Offers Help Within the Menu Bar?

ByMike Moffit

Sitting down in front of an Apple device, I always feel like the designers behind the hardware and software really thought things through. The system functions as it should, it has everything I need, nothing I don’t need, and is organized a logical manner. I feel as if I’ve entered an environment -a similar feeling to the one I get when I’m behind the wheel of a quality automobile. I’m confident that my human connection with the machine will allow me to achieve my goals in a safe and efficient manner. One of the benefits of having this connection with the machine is that most new features are seamlessly integrated and have almost no learning curve—the interface and functionality are consistent.

I’ve noticed many little changes and upgrades from Tiger in the new Leopard OS, few of which are noted in any of Apple’s marketing materials. One especially helpful Finder feature is the integrated search field in the Help menu. By simply clicking on the Help menu and entering the issue you’re experiencing in the search field, the Finder produces helpful results right within the menu itself. The neat little feature I noticed here is that if you search for a function which can be performed within the menu bar, the menu you need to use will automatically drop-down and the item that is suggested will have an arrow floating over it.

Enjoy!

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